LearnLingo vs Memrise: Which Is Better for Learning English?

Key takeaways

• Memrise's unique strength is real people: words and phrases come with native-speaker recordings and short videos.
• LearnLingo's unique strength is structure: a complete CEFR path with grammar tips, unit guides and an explanation for every mistake.
• Memrise says its English course covers American and British English and places learners from A1 to C2 with a quick assessment.
• Memrise's free plan limits speaking practice to one session per day; Pro unlocks unlimited practice, all word lists and no ads.
• LearnLingo gives every lesson free and has a Turkish interface; Plus is optional.
• Neither app gives certificates, and neither replaces a human teacher for conversation.

At a glance: LearnLingo vs Memrise

Based on official pages we checked on October 14, 2026.

Feature	LearnLingo	Memrise
Price model	Free course, optional Plus subscription	Free to start, Memrise Pro subscription or lifetime plan
Free tier	Every lesson, A1 to C1	Core learning; one speaking session per day; not all word lists
Levels (CEFR)	A1 to C1 course	"All levels"; placement assessment from A1 to C2
Teaching method	Gamified lessons, word banks, matching, gap-fill, listening, grammar tips	Scenario-based vocabulary, native-speaker videos, "hear it, learn it, copy it"
Speaking practice	Speaking Coach with browser speech recognition where available; listen and repeat on iOS	Record and compare with native speakers; MemBot AI conversations
Listening practice	Listening exercises and Listening Lab, device speech engine	Real native-speaker audio and video
Grammar explanations	Grammar tips, unit guides, Sage the Turtle	Limited; grammar comes through phrases
Native-language support	Turkish UI and explanations, more planned	Many interface languages
Platforms	Web browser and iOS	Web, iOS and Android
Offline use	Not on web	Check the current app details
Certificates	No	No
Best for	Structured free course, grammar, Turkish speakers	Natural listening and everyday phrases

Method and lesson design

Memrise describes its method in three steps: hear it, learn it, copy it. You first meet a phrase in a short video of a native speaker, then practice remembering it, then record yourself and compare your version with theirs. On the home page you can try a small demo: a speaker says a phrase, you see the translation, and you are invited to tap the microphone and repeat. The English course is organized by real-life topics such as travel, work, food, health, shopping and social life, and Memrise suggests you pick scenarios you actually need, like ordering in a restaurant or meeting a partner's family.

LearnLingo is organized like a classic course turned into a game. Units follow the CEFR, and each lesson mixes multiple choice, translation with a word bank, meaning checks, fill-in-the-gap, matching and listening. Grammar tips and unit guides explain the rule, and Sage the Turtle explains every wrong answer. Dialogues are read aloud by your device's speech engine.

The difference is input versus structure. Memrise gives you rich, authentic input; LearnLingo gives you a clear sequence and many checked answers.

Verdict: Memrise wins on authentic input and natural phrases. LearnLingo wins on sequence and explanation. Learners who need to understand why a sentence is right will prefer LearnLingo.

Curriculum and levels

Memrise calls its English course "all levels" and uses a quick assessment to place you between A1 and C2. Content is grouped by topic and scenario rather than by grammar point, and you can choose your own path. Memrise also says the course teaches both American and British English, which is useful; our guide to British vs American English explains the main differences.

LearnLingo's course runs from A1 to C1 in a fixed order. Each level has a public course page, such as the A1 course and the B1 course, so you can see the topics before you start. If you want to know what each level means, read CEFR levels explained.

Verdict: LearnLingo is clearer for learners who want a path to follow. Memrise suits learners who want to choose topics freely.

Grammar

Grammar is the biggest gap between the two. Memrise teaches grammar indirectly, through phrases you memorize and hear in context. That works well for set expressions like "Could I have the bill, please?" but it does not explain why the present perfect differs from the past simple.

LearnLingo teaches grammar explicitly. Every unit has a grammar tip, longer topics have unit guides, and the free English grammar hub collects them. When you make a mistake, Sage the Turtle explains the rule. Sage is a rule-based helper, not an AI chatbot, so it gives consistent answers tied to the exercise.

Verdict: LearnLingo is clearly better for grammar. If you use Memrise, pair it with a grammar resource such as English grammar for beginners.

Vocabulary and review

Vocabulary is Memrise's home ground. The company began as a flashcard and memory app, and it still uses review to move words into long-term memory. Memrise says its English course has thousands of words pronounced by native speakers, and Pro unlocks all word lists. You can also set a daily word goal.

LearnLingo teaches vocabulary inside lessons and then brings back every word or structure you get wrong through spaced practice. Games such as Word Match and Speed Quiz recycle words in a different format. The free English vocabulary hub groups words by topic. For the science behind both approaches, read about spaced repetition.

Verdict: Memrise is stronger for pure vocabulary volume and natural phrases. LearnLingo is stronger at recycling the specific words you personally got wrong.

Speaking and pronunciation

Memrise gives you two kinds of speaking practice. First, you can record a phrase and compare it with the native speaker. Second, its AI partner MemBot runs conversations, games and role-play missions; Memrise's English page says this practice is powered by GPT-3. On the plans page, unlimited speaking practice is listed as a Pro feature, with the free plan limited to one session per day.

LearnLingo's Speaking Coach game uses your browser's speech recognition, where your browser supports it, to check whether you said a target sentence. On iOS it is listen-and-repeat with self-check. LearnLingo has no AI conversation partner. For real conversation you will need a person; see how to improve your English speaking.

Verdict: Memrise is better for speaking, thanks to real models to copy and an AI partner. LearnLingo is useful for accuracy drills but not conversation.

Listening

Memrise's listening practice uses real voices and videos with different accents, speeds and rhythms. That is exactly what many learners lack: they understand slow app audio but not real people. Memrise says some videos come from sources including YouTube and TikTok.

LearnLingo uses your device's speech engine, which is clear and consistent and good for beginners, and it offers many listening drills in lessons and in the Listening Lab game. But synthetic speech will not prepare you for every real accent. Add real audio with learning English with podcasts.

Verdict: Memrise wins on listening.

Motivation: streaks, XP and leagues

LearnLingo is built around motivation mechanics: hearts, streaks, XP, levels, weekly leagues and 13 games. If competition and variety keep you going, this helps. Hearts can slow you down when you make many mistakes, and Plus removes that limit.

Memrise uses streaks, points and daily word goals. It feels calmer and more focused on content than on competition.

Verdict: LearnLingo for learners who want a game; Memrise for learners who want fewer distractions.

Price and value

On October 14, 2026, Memrise's plans page, seen from Turkey, listed 1 month at TRY 439.99, 12 months at TRY 1,869.99 per year (shown as a 65 percent saving) and a one-time Lifetime plan at TRY 8,599.99. Prices differ in other countries and in the app stores and change with promotions, so check the current price yourself.

LearnLingo's whole course is free. The optional LearnLingo Plus plan, offered weekly, monthly or yearly on the web, adds unlimited hearts, more help from Sage and early access to every game. App Store prices can differ.

Verdict: LearnLingo is better value for a complete course. Memrise Pro is worth it if you will use unlimited speaking practice and real-speaker videos often; the lifetime option can suit long-term learners.

Platforms

Memrise runs on the web, iOS and Android. LearnLingo runs in any modern browser and has an iOS app; Android users can use the web version. LearnLingo has no offline mode on the web.

Verdict: Memrise has wider platform coverage.

Support for Turkish speakers

LearnLingo has a Turkish interface and Turkish explanations, and its lessons target problems typical for Turkish speakers, such as articles, word order and the present perfect. See English mistakes Turkish speakers make and false friends between English and Turkish.

Memrise is available in many interface languages, but its English course is written for a global audience, so you will not get grammar explanations aimed at Turkish speakers.

Verdict: LearnLingo is the better fit for Turkish speakers.

Privacy and ads

Memrise's plans page lists "Ad-free" as a Pro feature, so the free plan includes ads. Its AI features send what you type or say to process a reply, as any AI chat does. LearnLingo has no ads in lessons and uses consent mode for analytics, with tracking denied until you agree. Read each privacy policy for details.

Verdict: LearnLingo gives a cleaner free experience; Memrise Pro removes ads.

Sample week: using Memrise and LearnLingo side by side

Twenty minutes a day, split between the two apps.

Day	LearnLingo (12 min)	Memrise (8 min)
Monday	New lesson in your level	One scenario, watch every video once
Tuesday	Spaced practice of mistakes	Repeat Monday's phrases, record and compare
Wednesday	New lesson plus Grammar Gap	New scenario on the same topic
Thursday	Listening Lab game	Review words due today
Friday	New lesson	One AI conversation or speaking session
Saturday	Speaking Coach	Shadow three phrases five times each
Sunday	Weekly review	Write five sentences using the week's phrases

Practice set: everyday phrases and the grammar behind them

This set mixes a Memrise-style task (natural phrases) with a LearnLingo-style task (the grammar behind them). Answers are below.

1. In a cafe, the most natural way to ask for the bill is: a) Give me the bill. b) Could I have the bill, please? c) I want bill.
2. A friend says "Thanks a lot!" The most natural reply is: a) No problem. b) Yes. c) It is nothing problem.
3. Choose the correct form: "I ___ never been to London." (have, has, am)
4. Choose: "How long ___ you lived here?" (do, have, are)
5. Natural or not? "I am agree with you."
6. Choose: "She's used ___ getting up early." (to, for, at)
7. A colleague asks "How's it going?" A natural answer is: a) Not bad, thanks. b) It is going to the office. c) I go.
8. Choose: "If I ___ you, I'd take the job." (am, were, will be)
9. Choose the best phrase for meeting someone new: a) Nice to meet you. b) Nice to see you first time. c) Happy to know.
10. Choose: "There ___ a lot of people at the party." (was, were, is)

Answers: 1 b, 2 a, 3 have, 4 have, 5 not natural; say "I agree with you", 6 to, 7 a, 8 were, 9 a, 10 were. For more, see small talk in English and present perfect.

Who should choose Memrise

• You can read English but struggle to understand real people speaking quickly.
• You want to learn natural everyday phrases from native speakers with different accents.
• You want AI conversation practice and will pay for Pro to use it every day.
• You use Android or prefer a native mobile app.
• You prefer choosing topics over following a fixed course.

Who should choose LearnLingo

• You want a complete A1 to C1 course for free, in a clear order.
• You want grammar explained, not only phrases memorized.
• You are a Turkish speaker and want explanations in Turkish.
• You enjoy games, XP and weekly leagues.
• You want your own mistakes to return until you know them.

Using both together

These two apps complement each other better than most pairs. LearnLingo gives you the grammar skeleton and checks your accuracy; Memrise puts real voices and natural phrases on that skeleton. Start with LearnLingo as your main course, add Memrise's free plan for ten minutes of real-speaker listening and shadowing, and upgrade only if you find yourself wanting more speaking sessions than the free plan allows. For other options, see our Memrise alternatives guide, the compare hub and the best apps to learn English.

The bottom line

Memrise is one of the best apps for hearing how English is really spoken, and its record-and-compare approach makes speaking practice feel natural. It is not a complete grammar course. LearnLingo is a complete, free, structured course with explanations and games, but its audio is synthetic and it has no conversation partner. If you can only choose one and you are below B1, choose the structure; if you are B1 or above and struggle to understand people, choose the voices. You can start LearnLingo free in your browser right now.

People Also Ask

Is Memrise or LearnLingo better for learning English?

They are good at different things. Memrise is better for hearing real native speakers and learning everyday phrases, and it has an AI conversation feature. LearnLingo is better for a complete, free CEFR course from A1 to C1 with grammar explanations, games and Turkish support.

Is Memrise free?

You can start Memrise for free, but the free plan limits speaking practice to one session a day and does not unlock every word list. Memrise Pro removes ads and those limits. Prices vary by country and platform.

Does Memrise teach English grammar?

Memrise focuses on vocabulary and phrases in context, with native-speaker video and speaking practice. It does not teach grammar as systematically as a structured course, so many learners pair it with a grammar course or book.

Is LearnLingo completely free?

Yes. All LearnLingo lessons, from A1 to C1, are free in the browser. The optional LearnLingo Plus plan adds unlimited hearts, more help from Sage the Turtle and early access to every game.

Can I use Memrise and LearnLingo together?

Yes. A good combination is LearnLingo for grammar and structured lessons and Memrise for hearing how real people say everyday phrases. Ten minutes of each per day works well.

Which app has more natural audio?

Memrise, because its words and phrases come with recordings and videos of real native speakers. LearnLingo uses the speech engine of your browser or phone, which is clear but less natural.